DOPHKAH, an encampment of the Israelites in the Wilderness. [WANDERING, THE.] DOR (111, and 1;,..;1 ; Sept. @pa), an ancient royal city of the Canaanites (Josh. xii. 23), situated on the coast of the Mediterranean (1 Maccab. xv. fourteen miles south of the promontory of Carmel, and seven north of Cmsarea. Its king joined the great confederacy under Jabin, and was, with the others, defeated by Joshua at the waters of Merom. But though the Israelites were victori ous on the field, they could not obtain possession of the strong city (Josh. xvii. 12 ; Judg. i. 27). The district of which Dor was capital appears to have been within the allotted territory of Asher (Reland, Pal. 539), but was assigned to Manasseh (Josh. xvii. II). The Israelites never expelled the old inhabitants, though they seem to have made them pay tribute in the days of Solomon (I Kings iv. I I). After this period Dor is not mentioned in Bible history.
In Scripture we read of the borders of Dor,' `the coast of Dor,' and 'the region of Dor ;' the same Hebrew word, Rh), being thus variously translated (Josh. xi. 2 ; xii. 23 ; I Kings iv. II). In the Sept. it is treated as one name, .NaipeO5c.'op Winer, Rosenmuller, and others, also make Napheth-dor the real name of the city. This, however, is an error, as may be seen from Josh. xii. 23, where Dor' is distinguished from the coast (Napheth) of Dor.' Napheth signifies an elevated tract, and hence a coast' as being ele vated above the water. Dor stood on a rocky promontory, behind which lies a beautiful and fer tile plain, extending southward to Sharon, and northward to Carmel. Along its eastern side runs a line of wooded hills, completely enclosing it. This plain is undoubtedly the 'coast or region of Dor,' which is rightly rendered by Symmachus rapaXia.
At'c'pa (Reland, Pal. 738).
In Josh. xvii. I r, Dor and Endor (117,r) are mentioned together. Bertheau (Comm. on ;lash.) and Stanley (S. and P.), following the Vatican Codex of the Sept., state that Endor is inter polated ; and Stanley adds, from this, Napheth would appear to be a local word applied to the plains at the foot of Carmel, much as Ciccar and Ge]iloth were to the Jordan valley.' But we have no authority here for questioning the integrity of the sacred text, and consequently the theory about Napheth must be rejected. The three countries,' or rather triple district' (i-vm includes Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, and has no con nection with Carmel (see Keil on josh. xvii. ii).
Dor was one of the Phoenician strongholds, and seats of commerce. On its rocky coast the murex abounded (Stephanus, Eeiniat ; Reland, Pal. 739). It was still a flourishing town in the Roman age ; and afterwards became the seat of a bishop. It is now represented by a little fishing village, consist ing of some thirty houses. The houses are modem, but the materials are manifestly ancient. North of the village is a rocky promontory, covered for a space of half a mile with ruins and rubbish. This was the site of the old city. The most conspicu ous object is a tall fragment of a tower, which forms the landmark of Tonti2ra, for such is the modern name. It is visible along the whole coast from Cmsarea to Carmel. The writer visited some rock tombs, and an excavation resembling a small theatre. The harbour was on the south side of the promontory, and was sheltered by two or three small islands.—J. L. P.